School Phone Bans Fail to Lift Test Scores as 40% of Fourth-Graders Read Below Basic
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 23
School Phone Bans Fail to Lift Test Scores as 40% of Fourth-Graders Read Below Basic
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 23
Summary
Strict school phone bans may improve student and teacher satisfaction, but a new study found no gains in test scores, attendance or self-reported classroom attention.
About 90 minutes of teens’ average 5.5 daily smartphone hours occur during school, the authors argue, leaving most screen exposure—and the bigger policy target—at home.
Roughly 40% of fourth-graders now read below the NAEP basic level, while disadvantaged children often enter kindergarten already behind in reading and math before school-based device use begins.
Home support before formal schooling matters more, they say: mothers with bachelor’s degrees spend 2.5 times as long on preschool learning activities, and low-cost tech tools have raised language scores and narrowed early math gaps.
The authors argue policy should scale parent-focused interventions—such as text prompts, digital libraries and screen-time guidance—rather than rely on school bans to reverse long-running achievement declines.
With test scores at a 20-year low, why are we blaming phones instead of the home environment?
Could a state-provided app for parents be more effective than any school-based phone ban?
If teachers aren't taught the 'science of reading,' can any policy truly fix America's literacy crisis?
School Cell Phone Bans and the U.S. Reading Crisis: Evidence, Equity, and the Limits of Policy
Overview
In 2026, U.S. education faces ongoing challenges with student engagement and academic performance, highlighted by rising absenteeism among 12th-graders and persistent student disengagement. In response to concerns about distraction, many schools have implemented cell phone bans. Evidence from a large urban Florida school district shows that student test scores improved significantly two years after an all-day phone ban was put in place. While these bans aim to address distraction and boost academic outcomes, the broader issues of absenteeism and disengagement suggest that phone bans are just one part of a larger effort needed to improve education.